Small Guy Promotions Small Business Expo

Okay, Small Guy Promotions Small Business Expo took place on 9/28/14 at the Salvation Army Kroc Center. This event proved that I have much to learn about the promotion business. My hope was that we would get at least 100 people on the low side and 250 people on the high side. Sadly, we did not come close to the low number. That is okay though because this still was an opportunity for the businesses to meet each other and network. That made this event worth it!

We had 25  awesome small businesses showcased at this event. There was HinesGlow Airbrush Tattoo, Rich Bak of RE/MAX The Producers, Booth Babes, SilvherHammer Surveillance, Firefly Photography, Coaches Place, 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, Crown Enterprises Inc, and so much more. This event had so much potential, but failed to gain steam. I don't know if it was the day, the time, other events or what. There was some small paid advertising, flyers, social media, community calendars, a press release, and word of mouth. Maybe it boils down to needing a bigger more recognized company to do some of the heavy lifting. I'm not sure, but I plan on doing research and seeing where we can improve if we plan to do this again.

                                         Photo by Jimmy Conover Photograpy

Our vendors were ready to go! Since there was not a lot of foot traffic people were able to move through the expo and talk about their business with other businesses. Life gives you lemons so you make lemonade. This was a perfect example of just that. In the above pic you can see Nitasha Shumaker giving an explanation about some of the cool items that she had to offer. My wife Mitzi, who was also a vendor for cosmetology and massage therapy, said that we will definitely be purchasing some Scentsy products from Nitasha. This is what the event ended up being and that is fine because it worked! No pun intended Joe Balanay and Kristin Hetrick. Now the next time out we will be bigger and better.

No matter what, I am happy that we were able to do this! Pictured here you have my good friend Joe Balanay, who is an It Works Consultant, and myself posing for a photo. This is what it is about! Spending time doing something you love, being able to do it with people you care about, and respect all made it special. For a lot of us it was our first event like this and we went in not knowing what to expect. Now with this behind us we are ready to take the city by storm.

I would like to give thanks to everyone that played a role in this event. Special thanks to my wonderful family and friends for rolling up their sleeves and putting in work. I honestly would not have been able to do this without them. My wife was such a rockstar and she definitely held it down! Thanks to our coordinator, Lisa Rushlau, and the Kroc Center!

Hip Hop Gumbo

Oh yeah! My first solo coordination of a live music show, Hip Hop Gumbo, was a decent success. There no doubt were a couple of hiccups, but overall it developed to be a very fun event. I have to say that I am definitely excited for the thought that I may be able to do this again in the near future. I cannot go any further without saying thank you to ALL the people who made this possible. Alaina Foster, Trac Schacht, Ben Salzinger, Nate Owen, Gene Poindexter, Eric and Noelle Konrad, Pensive Poetry with Miranda Wrights, Mike Hodge, TJ Johnson and The Side Door Lounge. There is only so much that I can do on my own accord and it is so wonderful to have people who like to work together to accomplish a common goal.

Leading up to the event I was not really nervous about it, but I didn't know what to expect. It seemed like the last few hours before the show zipped by at a crazy pace. Before I knew it, it was show time. A few heads were in the building and I was thinking that people might not make an appearance, but it was almost like I blinked one time and the venue was filling up. What a site to see! Not only was there people in attendance, but they were engaged. More engaged than almost any other show that I have been to. So, let me take a minute to thank those in attendance also. You guys seriously rock! I know all the performers and I especially am thankful to you for the energy you brought. I would put a show together for you any day. I would like to do something like this again soon. I guess I better get to some more shows and scout some other talent.

The performances were sweet. Nate O has a very smooth laid back sound that is different from most styles I have heard in my time out on the scene. I am partial to my guy TKO and his performance was one to remember. He really had good interaction with the audience. Simian Simpleton with Noelle always impress! Simian has this dope flow that takes you by surprise and paired with his wife Noelle's singing it really stands apart. What can I say about Pensive? Super multi-talented expialidocious! This guy is not only laying down hot lyrics, but he is painting live at the show before his set. He was so kind to offer me his are piece at the end of the show. All around this show was special to me!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Stay tuned for more work coming through the pipeline.